James d



(NoMd d eL) I v J. D. BENSON & R. B. FOGLE.

' DOOR.

Patnted July 10 .iltumeygf through the door.

UNI-TED j STATEs JAMES D. BENSON AND R. BRUCE FOG'LE, or OEANBEERY, wEsrVIRGINIA.

DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,785, dated July 10,1383.

Application filed May 8, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, JAMES D. BENSO and R.BRUoE FOGLE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cranberry, in thecounty of Preston and State of West Virginia, have invented a new anduseful Door, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to accompanying drawings. This invention relates to doors of thatclass which will open in either direction; and its object is to providea door especially adapted for use in halls, railroad-cars, boats, andother places where crowds are liable to assemble, and that will possesssuperior advantages in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness, .durability, general efficiency, and safety.

To this end it consists in an improved door that will not only open fromeither direction, but can be be opened from either of its side edges,and can also be readily removed from the door-frame or be thrown down.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a door embodying ourimprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View takenthrough the door and door-frame, and through the latch-bolts in theformer. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken on theline a: 00, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the bolt, itsactuating mechanism and its casing detached. Fig. 5 is a transversehorizontal sectional View on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a plan viewof the threshold.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the door-frame, which may bemainly of any suitable construotion, and has holes or recesses B B inthe under side of the top piece O, near its ends, which recessedportions are provided with a friction-plate, D, beveled at .each side EE to these holes. Corresponding holes or recesses, F F, are formed inthe threshold G, and corresponding friction-plates, H, are provided,these plates being beveled to the holes, as shown at I I, and connectedby a plate, J, extending longitudinally on the threshold.

K is the door, which, also, may be mainly of the usual construction. Thedoor is provided with a pair of double knobs, L L, the shanks M M ofwhich have bearings N N At the four corners of the latter are providedvertically-disposed holes or recesses O, in each of which is arrangedabolt,

. at the same side, so that by turning the latter in either direction,or from either side of the door, both of the said bolts will be drawnfrom engageme'nt with the top and bottom recesses in the door-frame, andthe door can be turned in either direction on the top and bottom boltsat the opposite side edge of the same. This operation is the same wheneither of the pairs of bolts at the side edges of the door are operated,and by operating both knobs at once the bolts are all withdrawn fromengagement with the recesses in the door-frame, so that the door iscompletely disengaged from the frame, and can be removed or thrown downin case of emergency. The bolts P are preferably inclosed in a tubularcasing, V, that is arranged in the recess 0. This casing has alongitudinal slot, WV, in its side for the arm R, and is provided with amain securing-plate, X, extending along the top edge of the door, andhaving a right-angular auxiliary plate, Y, arranged against the end edgeof the door, and provided with two wings or flanges, 'Z Z, that clamp orembrace the sides or faces of the said door, in one of these wings beingprovided a slot, A", registering with the slot S. The arm R ispreferably screwed into a screw-threaded holeor recess, B, in thebolt-P.

O (J are locking-plates that are pivoted to the door, and are providedwith recesses D in their edge,to engage corresponding grooves in thestem of the knob, these grooves being des ignated by E. V

Longitudinal vertical strips F F are pivoted in the door-frame, and areprovided on their outer edge with a catch-plate, G having a depression,H which is engaged by the head of a pin, 1 projecting from thedoor-frame, to retain these strips back against the frame, out of theway of the door. WVhen it is desired to close the crack between the edgeof the door and the frame, these strips have only to be turned on theirhinges against the face of the door, when a pin, J projecting from thelatter, will engage the depression to retain the strips in thisposition.

The operation and advantages of our invention are obvious. It is verysimple and efficient in construction, and can be readily andconveniently operated. In case of a panic in a public building or otherplace having our improved doors, they could be quickly thrown open fromwhatever side they are approached, and could be as readily thrown downby simply operating the two knobs.

In doors of this class, having vertical bolts at each side serving aspivots, the bolts have heretofore been arranged outside the door insuitably-disposed brackets, and connected directly to the operating knobor spindle at different sides of its pivot; but in our invention thebolts are protected in holes or recesses at the ends or corners of thedoor, and are provided with the lateral arms, by which they areconnected by independent pivoted rods with the knobs, this form beingmore durable and rendering the parts less liable to displacement ordamage.

Ve claim as ourinvention- 1. The combination, with the door having holesor recesses at its top and bottom corners, of the bolts fitting in theserecesses and provided with lateral arms working through slots in thesides of the latter, the springs or cushions arranged in the recesses toexert their ten sion to force the bolts from the mouth of the same, theknob having its shank or stem journaled in the door, and the connectingpivoted rods extending from the lateral arms to the stem of the knob, asand for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the door-frame having the holes or recessesnear its ends at the top and bottom, of the door having thevertically-disposed holes or recesses at its four corners, the boltsfitting in these recesses and provided with lateral arms which work inslots in the sides of the recesses, the pair of double knobs havingtheir shanks journaled in the door, and the connecting-rods pivoted tothe lateral arms of the bolts and to the stems of the knobs, the top andbottom bolts at each "side edge of the door beingindependently connectedto the same knob, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the knob having the journaled stem, by which itis adapted to operate the bolts against the tension of the spring, thesaid stem being provided with grooves, of the plate pivoted to the doorand provided with the recess in its edge to engage the grooves in thestem of the knob to lock the latter, as set forth.

4. The combination of the door-frame, the door provided with the boltsat its corners, arranged to engage the frame and operated by the knobs,and the pivoted vertical strips arranged at the sides of the frame andadapted to be turned against the door to cover the crack between thelatter and the frame, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. BENSON. R. BRUCE FOGLE. \Vitn esses James M. HERNDON, Sco'rT T.Jones.

